Winged headrest with safety features for vehicular use

ABSTRACT

A headrest with pivotable side support members and safety features. A head support assembly according to one embodiment includes a first wing member including a deformable plastic wing frame portion. The head support assembly also includes a center member that includes a plastic center frame portion to which the first wing member is pivotably coupled. The forward pivoting of the first wing member is limited an acute angle.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.10/607,424, filed Jun. 25, 2003 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,893,094, entitled“Headrest with Pivotable Side Support Members”, which is a divisional ofU.S. application Ser. No. 09/932,587 filed Aug. 17, 2001, now U.S. Pat.No. 6,648,416, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser.No. 09/667,011 filed Sep. 20, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,749, whichis a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/374,077, nowU.S. Pat. No. 6,123,389, filed on Aug. 12, 1999, which claims thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/096,426, filed Aug.13, 1998.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The present disclosure generally relates to headrests. Moreparticularly, the present disclosure pertains to headrests that may beused in connection with or be integrally formed with vehicle seats, suchas car seats, train seats, airplane seats, child seats, or which may beused in conjunction with or form a part of furniture, stretchers, beds,or the like.

2. Description of Related Art

Generally, a passenger in a passenger vehicle, such as an automobile,airplane, bus or train, suffers significant neck strain when restingsince seats in such passenger vehicles typically provide support only tothe back portion of the passenger's head. More specifically, since seatsin such passenger vehicles are not designed to keep the passenger's headin a substantially upright, vertical orientation relative to thepassenger's torso (e.g., when the passenger is at rest or sleeping),neck strain may result due to the natural instability of an unsupportedhead when no muscles are being used to support the head.

In order to alleviate such neck strain, various devices have beendeveloped. For instance, pillows designed to fit around the backside ofthe passenger's neck have been developed. Such neck pillows areinflatable with air or consist solely of a foam material. However, suchneck pillows generally do not provide adequate support to inhibit neckstrain due to their readily deformable or “sponge-like” nature. Further,use of such neck pillows tends to allow the entire body of the user toslide sideward because lateral acceleration causes the passenger's bodyto slip against the seat. In addition, such neck pillows typically donot allow passengers to adjust the configuration of the device to suitthe passenger's tastes or dimensions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The present invention is illustrated by way of example and notlimitation in the Figures of the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is perspective view of one embodiment of the headrest of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the headrest illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3A–3B are perspective views of another embodiment of the frame ofthe headrest of the present invention;

FIGS. 4A–4B are perspective views of the padding of the headrest of thepresent invention;

FIG. 5 is an embodiment of the headrest of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the portable headrest of the presentinvention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective, partially cut-away view of the portableheadrest illustrated in FIG. 6.

FIGS. 8A–8C illustrate perspective, end and top views of one embodimentof the frame of the headrest illustrated in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the headrest ofthe present invention, illustrating the unibody frame;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of still another embodiment of the unibodyframe of the headrest of the present invention, illustrating the centermember positioned distal relative to the wing portions of the frame toclamp over an upper portion of a seatback;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the frame of theheadrest of the present invention with wing portions being hingedlyconnected to the frame which is releasably securable to an upper portionof a seatback;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the frame of theheadrest of the present invention, illustrating the center portion ofthe frame being positionable on a top portion of a seatback and the wingportions being hingedly connected to end portions of the center portion;

FIG. 13 is a side view of the headrest of FIG. 6 mounted onto an upperportion of a seat, illustrating a person's head being supported thereon;

FIG. 14 is a front view of the headrest of FIG. 6 mounted onto an upperportion of a seat;

FIGS. 15A–15E illustrate the headrest of FIG. 6 utilized in variousconfigurations, without use of the interconnecting member;

FIGS. 16A–16B illustrate another embodiment of the wing members of thepresent invention;

FIGS. 17A–17B illustrate still another embodiment of the wing members ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 18 illustrates another embodiment of the headrest of the presentinvention, with the interconnecting members being stems.

FIGS. 19 a and 19 b illustrate an embodiment having angularly foldingwing members.

FIG. 20 a illustrates one embodiment having a press-fit hinge mechanism.

FIG. 20 b illustrates one embodiment having a press-fit hinge mechanismwith an upper portion and a lower portion and a gap through which astrap may be threaded to secure the headrest to a seat or other object.

FIG. 21 a illustrates one embodiment having a center bar with a hollowyielding portion.

FIG. 21 b illustrates one embodiment having a curved center bar.

FIG. 22 illustrates one embodiment of a one-sided headrest with anover-the-seat, compressive attachment member.

FIG. 23 a illustrates one embodiment of a motorized headrest.

FIG. 23 b illustrates another embodiment of a motorized headrest.

FIG. 23 c illustrates one embodiment having a wing stowing capability.

FIG. 23 d illustrates another embodiment having a wing stowingcapability.

FIG. 24 a illustrates an embodiment having a slide-on strap attachmentmember.

FIG. 24 b illustrates a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 24 a.

FIG. 25 illustrates one embodiment having a fold-over end portion.

FIG. 26 a illustrates one embodiment utilizing a strap and supportmember attached to the strap to support a hinged wing.

FIG. 26 b illustrates a top view of another embodiment utilizing a strapand support member attached to the strap to support a hinged wing.

FIG. 27 illustrates an embodiment having a hinged center support member.

FIG. 28 illustrates another embodiment of a winged headrest.

FIG. 29 illustrates an embodiment of a headrest having a vibrating wingmember.

FIG. 30 illustrates an embodiment of a stretcher having an integralwinged headrest.

FIG. 31 illustrates an embodiment of a child seat having a wingedheadrest.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description provides a description of various features andembodiments of headrests. In the following description, numerousspecific details such as material types, shapes, fasteners, dimensions,and the like are provided in order to provide a more thoroughunderstanding of the present invention. It will be appreciated, however,by one skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced withoutsuch specific details.

In one embodiment, the present invention is embodied in a headrest foruse in various land-based and air-based vehicles, such as automobiles,buses, trains and airplanes. Generally, the headrest of the presentinvention may include a frame comprising a back member for supportablyengaging at least a back portion of a person's (e.g., passenger's) headand first and second wing members for supportably engaging first andsecond side portions, respectively, of the person's head, and a firstinterconnecting member for attaching at least the back member to a seat.The first and second wing members function to inhibit neck strain bysupporting first and second side portions of the passenger's head (e.g.,cheekbone portions), respectively, when the passenger falls asleep(depending upon to which side the passenger's head is leaning). In oneembodiment, the first and second wing members are integrally formed withfirst and second end portions of the back member as a unitary structure.In another embodiment, the first and second wing members are pivotallyinterconnected to first and second end portions of the back member,respectively. In both of these embodiments, the first and second wingmembers, in cooperation with the back member, provide a rigid structureor frame to support a person's head when such person's head falls to oneside or the other when such person falls asleep. In addition, suchheadrest may be utilized in various configurations due to theadjustability of the first and second wing members. By virtue of thisarrangement, virtually uninterrupted sleep may be achieved withoutsubstantial neck strain since some embodiments of the headrest of thepresent invention can supportably engage either or both sides of aperson's head with the wing members. In an alternative embodiment, theheadrest of the present invention includes only a single wing memberinterconnectable to the back member.

More specifically, in one embodiment, the headrest includes asubstantially C-shaped or U-shaped frame and an interconnecting memberfor attaching the frame to a seat, such as a passenger seat utilized inautomobiles, airplanes, buses and trains or an office-type of chair. Inthis embodiment, the rigid frame includes a back member for supportablyengaging at least a back portion of a person's head and first and secondwing members integrally formed with the back member at first and secondend portions of the back member. Such wing members are capable ofsupportably engaging first and second side portions of the person'shead. The frame may comprise a rigid or semi-rigid material having amodulus of elasticity (e.g., at least about 10⁶ PSI) and/or a yieldstrength of between about 3,000 PSI and about 30,000 PSI. In thisregard, the first and second wing members may be bent relative to theback member, such that the size of the cavity defined by the first andsecond wing members and back member is variable. As such, due to theadjustability of the first and second wing members relative to the backmember, various head sizes and configurations of the head support may beachieved while providing support to either side of an unsupported headat rest. The wing members are generally 6–7 inches in length from theback member to the tips of the wing members. The headrest of the presentinvention may also be used as a support device in other applications(e.g., lumbar area in automobile seats, the thoracic/rib cage area orthe leg or seat area of automobile seats, or alternatively, hospitalbeds, Rotorest™ or any lateral motion therapy bed). Such a support maybe utilized in other seats, such as dental chairs to locate or positiona patient's head in a fixed position, massage tables, chiropracticchairs and tables, and physical therapy tables (e.g., to strengthen thepatient's neck if injured and in need of physical therapy by applyingtorque to the wing members). Other uses of the support include reclinerchairs, chaise lounge chairs and infant or children's seats (e.g., carseats).

In another embodiment, width adjustability of the headrest is providedby first and second hinge members, which hingedly interconnect the firstand second wing members, respectively, to first and second end portionsof the back member, respectively. In order to provide suchadjustability, such that the first and second wing members are capableof supporting first and second side portions of a person's head, thefirst and second hinges may include a pivot adjustment mechanism forreleasably maintaining the first and second wing members, independently,at any of a plurality of pivot positions relative to the back member. Inthis regard, the first and second wing members may be moved to desiredconfigurations/positions relative to the back member and releasablyfixed in such configurations/positions to support first and second sideportions of a person's head when resting. Such adjustment not onlyprovides comfort to the user, but also may facilitate easy storage ofthe headrest by providing a foldable headrest (e.g., a headrest capableof lying flat), which occupies less space than other conventionalheadrests. In one embodiment, the hinge members comprise unbalancedhinges requiring less torque to move the first and second wing membersinwardly than to move the first and second wing members outwardly,towards an unfolded, open configuration. Such hinges (e.g., clutchspring hinge) also function to dampen the loads to provide a morecomfortable ride to the user. In an alternative embodiment,adjustability of the wing members is provided by motorizing the wingmembers by placing a geared motor(s) proximate the hingesinterconnecting the wing members to the back member. Such geared orcoupled motor(s) enables the user to easily adjust the angle of eachwing member relative to the back member. In yet another embodiment, thehinges are adapted to allow the wing members to not only move inwardlyand outwardly relative to the back member, but also upwardly anddownwardly (i.e., vertically) relative to the back member, to therebyallow the wing members to be stowed along the ends (i.e., sides) of theback member. In this embodiment, such hinges may further include a pinjoint or may otherwise comprise a ball joint. Alternatively, the hingesmay be adapted to allow the wing members to move only upwardly anddownwardly relative to the back member, the wing members being orientedin fixed relation relative to the back member at about 20 degrees toallow a person's head to rest against one or both wing members. Forpurposes of providing a light-weight yet durable headrest, the first andsecond wing members and/or the back member may comprise a light-weightmetal, such as aluminum, wood, composites, or a plastic, such as highdensity polyethylene (HDPE).

Some embodiments of the headrest of the present invention may beinterconnected to a passenger seat of a vehicle in various fashions,depending upon whether the embodiment is to replace a removable headrestinterconnected to a back seat portion of a passenger seat, or is to beutilized as a kit-type of add-on to an existing headrest of a passengerseat. In one embodiment, in instances where the headrest of the presentinvention will replace a conventional removable headrest, theinterconnecting member for attaching the headrest to the back seatportion of the passenger seat comprises at least a first post or stem(e.g., blade) which is interconnected or integrally formed with the backmember of the headrest. Such post or stem may be configured to bereceived within an existing post-receiving channel which extendsvertically through at least a portion of the back seat portion of thepassenger seat. Such posts or stems are particularly useful whencombined with the headrest of the present invention to provide lateralsupport to users when subjected to torque loading. In instances wherethe headrest will be attached to an existing, conventional headrest of apassenger seat, the interconnecting member may comprise a first strapadapted to extend around the perimeter of the conventional headrest.Such strap may be of a non-slip nature (e.g., non-slip suede, vinyl, orother similar high coefficient of friction material) and include atleast a first fastening mechanism, such as Velcro, buckles, clamps,cinches, etc. for securing the strap about the conventional headrest ofthe passenger seat. Such non-slip material inhibits migration of theheadrest relative to the seat.

For purposes of providing comfort to the passenger, the headrest of thepresent invention may further include padding and a cover. In oneembodiment, where the frame comprises a unitary, integrally formedstructure, the padding may include a molded foam member which isreceivable over the frame, such that the frame is not exposed orotherwise contactable with the passenger's head. In order to providesufficient comfort while supporting a person's head, in one embodiment,the padding has 25% impact load deflection (ILD) of between about 1.0 toabout 3.5 and, in a preferred embodiment, between about 1.6 to about2.5. In one embodiment, the 25% ILD of the padding is about 2.3. In oneembodiment, the padding comprises a gel or foam material, such as aTempurepedic™ foam (e.g., a heat sensitive, highly conformablepolyurethane). In another embodiment, the padding may comprise first andsecond layers, whereby the first layer of padding has a durometergreater than the second layer of padding, the first layer of padding inabutting relation with the frame. In addition, in order to enhanceadherence of the padding to the frame, the frame may include a pluralityof hollowed or cut out areas while reducing the potential fordelamination and damage to the headrest. Alternatively, the padding maycomprise separate foam members each covering a specific portion of theframe. For example, first and second wing foam members may cover thefirst and second wing members, respectively, while a back foam membercovers the back member. The padding may also include a neck roll forabuttingly engaging a back portion of a user's head (e.g., protrusion onlower, back area of person's head, about the neck area). Such neck rollfunctions to position or align the user's head with the wing members andfurther to be the primary loading point on the back of the user's head.The neck roll enhances positioning of the wing members relative to theuser's eyes, such that the user can see over the wing members due toneck roll functioning as the primary locator point. In otherembodiments, the padding of at least the wing member is a soundabsorbing foam adapted to inhibit noise penetration (e.g., when the wingmembers are positioned over the user's ear(s). In another embodiment,the first and second wing members include first and second soundspeakers, respectively, which are in electrical communication (e.g., viaa standard jack phone system) with a portable stereo or other similardevice (e.g., automobile stereo, airplane sound system, etc.).Alternatively, such stereo system may be battery-powered andincorporated into the headrest. In still another embodiment, the firstand second wing members may include commercially available noisecancellation circuitry that is adapted to cancel ambient noise bygenerating 180^(□) phase shifted frequencies to those ambient, therebycanceling the noise at the user's ear(s). In yet another embodiment, thewing members may include a sound system adapted to generate repeating orconstant frequencies that are soothing to listeners. Such sound systemmay be positioned in the wings or in the back member with controls(e.g., knobs) on the backside (e.g., non-head supporting) surface of thewings for easy control access during use. In still another embodiment,the headrest may include a pitch control mechanism, to provide furthercomfort to the user, such pitch control to allow the headrest to rollforward on a pawl that supports the headrest in a first, forwardposition until it is rolled fully forward at which point the pawl isreleased to allow the headrest to go back to an aft position.

In another embodiment, the present invention is related to a portableheadrest which is adapted for use on a seat having an upper portion of aseatback for engaging the backside of a person's head. Generally, thisembodiment of the present invention includes first and second wingportions capable of abuttingly engaging first and second side portionsof a person's head, respectively, a neck support member capable ofsupporting or engaging a neck portion of the person's head or a base ofthe head portion of the person, the neck support member interconnectingor extending between the first and second side portions, and aninterconnecting member for interconnecting the headrest to the seatback.Advantageously, the portable headrest of this embodiment of the presentinvention is designed to allow, if desired, the backside of a person'shead to be supported by the existing headrest or upper portion of theseatback (e.g., of a seat in vehicle or airplane). In this regard, thepresent invention is based, at least in part, upon applicant'srecognition of a problem with various existing headrests, which canposition a user's head undesirably forward of the user's torso or backdue to the fact that a number of existing headrests utilize a thick pad(in addition to the headrest or upper portion of the seatback) tosupportably engage the backside of a person's head and the fact that theheadrest or upper portion of seatback in newer model cars are typicallypositioned forward or proximal the back support portion of the seatback.Alternatively, in the event such support is desired (e.g., in instanceswhere the existing headrest on an upper portion of a seatback is notconfigured to be oriented forward or proximal a back support portion ofthe seatback), the present invention can accommodate such by providing areleasably securable pad adapted to be interconnected to the headrest toabuttingly engage the backside of a person's head.

In one embodiment, the interconnecting member comprises a first straproutable through first and second swivels mounted on the first andsecond portions of the neck support member. Such configuration allowsthe some embodiments to be securely interconnected to the upper portionof a seat while facilitating independent movement of each of the firstand second wing portions to desired pivot positions. In this regard, thepivot positions of the first and second wing portions may be adjustedwithout having to remove the headrest from the seat and/or withouthaving to loosen the strap. Such first strap may be secured about theperimeter of the upper portion of the seat, or alternatively about therear or back side of the upper portion of the seat, with the necksupport member abuttingly engaging the front side of the upper portionof the seat to securely interconnect this embodiment of a headrest ofthe present invention to the seat.

The portable headrest may further include first and second torsionsprings for pivotally interconnecting the first and second wing portionsto the first and second end portions of the neck support member,respectively, in order to allow the wing portion to be angularlyadjusted to various desired positions. In this embodiment, for purposesof adequately supporting the person's neck while allowing the first andsecond wing portions to support side portions of the person's head(e.g., proximate the cheek bones), the first and second end portions ofthe neck support member extend vertically upwardly relative to thehorizontally extending center portion of the neck support member. Suchfirst and second wing portions may be interconnected to the neck supportmember's end portions via the first and second torsion springs,respectively. In an alternative embodiment, the first and second wingportions are integrally formed with the neck support member to provide aunibody frame.

Furthermore, for purposes of providing a lightweight headrest, the necksupport member and/or the first and second wing portions may be tubular.For these embodiments, the neck support member and/or first and secondwing members may be fabricated from a lightweight metal, such asaluminum, or a plastic material. Padding may be positioned on the wingportions and/or the neck support member to comfortably support the sidesof the user's head and/or the neck of the user, respectively.

In another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a portableheadrest adapted to be releasably securable to a headrest or upperportion of a seat's seatback. In one embodiment, the headrest is adaptedto be easily and efficiently securable to the upper portion of a seat'sseatback with or without the use of straps or other interconnectingdevices. In this embodiment, the portable headrest includes first andsecond wing portions adapted to supportably or abuttingly engage sideportions of a person's head, a center member positioned distallyrelative to the first and second wing portions for engaging a backsurface of the seatback (e.g., an upper portion of the back surface ofthe seatback), and first and second intermediate portions extendingbetween the first and second wing portions and the first and second endportions of the center member, respectively. The portable headrest inthis embodiment allows a user to rest the backside of the person's headagainst the front surface of the upper portion of the seatback, ifdesired. In order to releasably secure this embodiment of the headrestof the present invention to the upper portion of the seatback, the firstand second intermediate portions are substantially U-shaped. In oneembodiment, the first and second intermediate portions are configured tocompressively engage (e.g., pinch) the upper portion of the seatback tohold the portable headrest in place. In particular, the first and secondintermediate portions may each include opposing first and second legsthe first and second legs being spaced apart at least a first distance(e.g., proximate the center member), the first distance being less thanthe space between the front and back surfaces of a selected portion ofthe upper portion of the headrest. The first and second wing portions,first and second intermediate portions and the center member may beintegrally formed to provide a unibody frame. In an alternativeembodiment, the first and second wing portions are pivotally or hingedlyinterconnectable to corresponding end portions of the first and secondintermediate portions via torsion springs. The portable headrest of thepresent invention may further comprise first and second wing padspositionable on the first and second wing portions, respectively, toprovide comfort to the user. In an alternative embodiment, the headrestmay be configured such that the center member engages a top portion ofthe seatback, and a strap may be utilized to secure the headrest to anupper portion of the seatback.

In another embodiment, the first and second wing portions of theheadrest of the present invention are configured/designed in order toinhibit injuries to a person's head in the event of a collision. Morespecifically, the first and second wing portions may have a scoopconfiguration, wherein the tip or end portion of the wing is off/access,such that if the wing is positioned 90 degrees relative to the center orneck support member, in the event of a collision, or sudden breaking,the impact force has a moment outside of the hinge which should causethe wing portion or member to swing away. In another embodiment, thewing members are collapsible scoops, in configuration, such that thescooped wing member acts as a crush zone (e.g., the wing member maycomprise plastic which would buckle or bend under an impact). Such acollapsible wing member also has a straight or non-curved configuration.

FIGS. 1–4B illustrate the various features and characteristics of someembodiments of the present invention. Generally, for purposes ofsupporting a person's head when such person falls asleep in a seated orprone position (e.g., when seated or lying down in a car seat, trainseat, airplane seat, bus seat, etc. or a chair), some embodiments of theheadrest of the present invention generally include a rigid orsemi-rigid frame having first and second wing members and a back memberinterposed therebetween, and at least a first padding memberinterposable between the person's head and at least one of the first andsecond wing members and back member. Due to the support provided by therigid or semi-rigid frame, neck strain is substantially inhibited orotherwise reduced.

Referring to FIGS. 1–2, in one embodiment of the headrest of the presentinvention, the headrest 10 generally includes first and second side orwing portions 14, 18 for supportably engaging side portions of aperson's head, especially when the person is seated, a back portion 22for supportably engaging a back portion of a person's head, especiallywhen at rest, and an interconnecting member 26 for securing the headrestto a seat. For purposes of inhibiting slippage of the headrest 10relative to a seat, in this embodiment, the headrest 10 further includesa pitch restraint member 30 which is adapted to engage (e.g., in apressure fit manner) a top portion of the seat (e.g., an existingheadrest portion of the seat).

More specifically, and referring to FIG. 2, the headrest 10 of thisparticular embodiment of the present invention includes a semi-rigid orrigid frame 34, a padding member 38 and a strap 42 for interconnectingthe headrest to a seat. For purposes of adequately supporting a person'shead, and in particular a person's head when the person is asleep andthe head is tilted to one side or the other, the frame member 34 isgenerally C-shaped or U-shaped, and includes first and second wingmembers 35 a, 35 b for supporting a person's head (e.g., side portionsof the person's unsupported head) and a back member 35 c, which isadapted to provide the interface between the first and second wingmembers 35 a, 35 b and the seat, via the strap 42, which is feedablethrough the vertical slots 43 a, 43 b of the back member 35 c (whichwill be described in more detail hereinbelow). In this embodiment, thefirst and second wing members 35 a, 35 b are integrally formed with theback member 35 c. In addition, in order to provide adjustability in thesize of the cavity formed by the headrest 10 (e.g., widthadjustability), the first and second wing members 35 a, 35 b arepivotable relative to the back member 35 c. In this regard, the frame 34may comprise a bendable material, such as aluminum, aluminum alloys,plastic, composite or steel. The frame 34 is sufficiently stiff tosupport lateral loads of up to 8 pounds (i.e., 40 in.-lbs.) at the tipsof the wing members 35 a, 35 b and to support the weight of the wings.In this regard, the headrest may fold to a flattened configuration if 45in.-lbs. or more were applied to the wing members. Such a headrestprovides safety features as it would buckle under light impact loads tothe tips of the wing members (i.e., column strength is weak) and 45in.-lbs. under lateral loads. Such frame may be fabricated from athermoplastic elastomer, such as Hytrel. Alternatively, the frame may befabricated from a shape memory alloy, such as nickel titanium, whichcould provide for some adjustability of the wing members relative to theback member. As such, the frame member 34, and specifically, the firstand second wing members 35 a, 35 b are capable of being bent relative tothe back member 35 c, in a hinge fashion, and are capable ofsubstantially maintaining such orientation relative to the back memberto suitably support a head at rest thereon. Such width adjustability isenhanced by providing at least one cut out or slotted area 36 in eachhinge area of the frame member 34. Advantageously, the first and secondwing members 35 a, 35 b are independently movable relative to each otherand the back member 35 c, which enables a user to move the wing membersto any of a number of desired positions relative to each other and tothe back member 35 c. It should be noted that such cut out areas 36 alsofunction to ensure that the padding member 38 is anchored to the framemember 34 as portions of the padding member 38 proximate such cut outareas 36 fill such cut out areas 36.

The strap 42 generally functions to interconnect the frame member 34 toa seat or chair. In this embodiment, and referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, thestrap 42 is receivable within the slots 43 a, 43 b of the back member 35c, and comprises a hook and loop fastener (e.g., Velcro) to secure endportions 44 a, 44 b of the strap 42 to intermediate portions 45 a, 45 bof the strap 42, respectively, whereby a middle portion 46 of the strapis loopable around a back portion of a seat. Use of such a strap 42allows for a quick and efficient installation onto a seat withoutendangering passengers positioned in back of the seat. Alternatively,the strap may include one or more buckles, cinches, clamps and othersimilar fastening devices for attaching the headrest 10 onto a seat.Such strap 42 enables this embodiment of the headrest 10 of the presentinvention to be secured to substantially any type of in-place existingheadrest of a seat, such as automobile seats, airplane seats, trainseats, bus seats, office chairs and other similar types of seatstructures.

As noted hereinabove, the headrest 10 also includes a padding member 38.In one embodiment, the padding member is a molded foam headrest. Theframe member 34 may be molded into the padding member 38. Generally, theinner surfaces of the first and second wing portions 39 a, 39 b of thepadding member 38 are fully radiused so that side portions of anunsupported head of a person can contact the headrest at virtually anyangle, from horizontal to vertical, in a comfortable manner. The backportion 39 c of the padding member 38 transitions to the wing portions39 a, 39 b in a relatively large radius, upon which an unsupported rearportion of a head may be supported. Further, in this embodiment, forpurposes of adequately supporting a person's unsupported head, thepadding member 38 has a 25% ILD between about 1.6 and about 2.6, andmore particularly, between about 1.8 and about 2.4. In a preferredembodiment, the 25% ILD of the padding is about 2.1. Alternatively, inorder to enhance comfort, a first layer in contact with the frame member34 may comprise a stiff, light weight foam while a second layerinterposable between the head of a person and the first layer may have asofter, lower durometer to provide a softer, more cushioned support.Finally, the padding member 38 is configured to adequately support theback portion of a person's head while supportably engaging cheekboneportions of a person's head. More specifically, the padding member 38 isconfigured such that the top surface 40 c of the back portion of thepadding member is higher than the top surfaces 40 a, 40 b of the wingportions 39 a, 39 b.

Optionally, and as illustrated in FIG. 2, the headrest 10 may furthercomprise a cover 46 for enhancing comfort and for facilitating cleaningof the headrest 10. In one embodiment, the cover comprises leather,lycra, cotton, vinyl, Polartec® or other similar materials. The cover isremovable and should be washable for hygiene purposes. In addition, thecover should be configured to snugly fit about the padding member 38 andmay additionally include slots on the backside thereof to accommodatethe strap 42. The headrest 10 may further include a pitch restraintmember 50 interconnectable to the cover or frame. The pitch restraintmember 50 is a vertical strap interconnectable to the top part of theback member 22, the strap 52 being loopable over the top of the headrest10 and releasably attachable to the cover 46 via a fastener (e.g.,Velcro, snap, buckle, etc.). The pitch restraint strap 50 provides athree point mount to secure the headrest 10 to a seat headrest, whichinhibits rolling down of the headrest 10 when a user leans against oneof the wing members 35 a, 35 b.

In another embodiment, illustrated in FIGS. 3A–5, the headrest isadapted as a replacement for existing removable headrests onautomobile-type seats. Generally, the headrest 110 illustrated in FIG. 5includes first and second side portions 114. 118, a back member 122 andan interconnecting member 142 for securing the headrest to an existingseat. More specifically, and referring to FIGS. 3A–3B, the headrestincludes a semi-rigid or rigid frame 134 comprising first and secondwing members 135 a, 135 b which are pivotally interconnectable to a backmember 135 c via hinge members 136 a, 136 b, and first and second wingpad members 139 a, 139 b for covering first and second wing members 135a, 135 b, along with a back pad member 139 c for covering the backmember 135 c. Also included is an additional neck roll pad 139 d on theback pad member 139 c for abuttingly engaging a or lower area of thebackside of a person's head. In this embodiment, the first and secondwing members 135 a, 135 b and the back member 135 c function to providea rigid support structure for supporting an unsupported head of a personat rest or seated, substantially as described hereinabove with respectto the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1–2. In this regard, the firstand second wing members and back member 135 a, 135 b, 135 c may comprisea rigid material, such as aluminum, plastic, steel or other composite.The wing members 135 a, 135 b are generally rectangular in shape, andhave a height less than that of the back member 135 c. In addition, forpurposes of reducing viewing interference when a user wishes to looksideways, such that the user can rest while looking over the wingmembers, the neck roll pad 139 d is positionable between the upper andlower walls of the wing members 135 a, 135 b. Advantageously, the widthof the back member 135 c is about 6.5 inches, plus or minus 0.5 inch,such that the head of the user will be comfortably received within thecavity of the headrest without having to adjust the wing members 135 a,135 b inwardly to such a degree (e.g., 80 degrees or more relative tothe back member) that the wing members become a safety concern,especially in instances of acceleration or deceleration where the headmay be forced back toward the headrest. Of importance, in thisembodiment, the hinge members 136 a, 136 b function to allow pivotal orhinged movement of the wing members 135 a, 135 b relative to the backmember 135 c. Such pivotal movement of the first wing member 135 a isindependent of the pivotal movement of the second wing member 135 b toprovide numerous comfort configurations for the user. Such hinge members136 a, 136 b also allow the headrest 110 to be used or otherwise stowedin a flattened configuration (e.g., 180 degrees relative to each member,or otherwise folded to provide a compact, easily storable headrest).Although the degree of rotation of the first and/or second wings may bevaried relative to the front surface of the back member 135 c, forsafety reasons, rotation of the first and second wing members 135 a, 135b, in a preferred embodiment, is limited to less than about 250 degreesrelative to a front surface of the back member 135 c.

In one embodiment, the first and second hinge mechanisms 136 a, 136 bcomprise unbalanced hinges (e.g., springs with definable frictionconsistent over a range of motion, such as clutch springs, torsionsprings, etc.), whereby a first torque is required to rotate the firstand second wing members 135 a, 135 b inwardly, towards the front surfaceof the back 135 c, and a second torque different than the first torqueis required to rotate the first and/or second wing member 135 a, 135 boutwardly, away from the front surface of the back member 135 c. Thefirst torque may be less than the second torque. For instance, the firsttorque required to rotate the first and/or second wing members 135 a,135 b inwardly is about 25 inch pounds while the second torque requiredto rotate the first and/or second wing members 135 a, 135 b outwardly,relative to the back member 135 c is about 35 inch pounds. In thisregard, the hinge mechanisms 136 a, 136 b, in cooperation with the firstand second wing members 135 a, 135 b and the back member 135 c cansupport an unsupported head of a person while maintaining theirrespective position and/or orientation relative to each other. Inanother embodiment, the hinges may comprise a hinge mechanism which isadapted to allow the first and/or second wing member to be rotatedinwardly and/or outwardly relative to the front surface of the backmember 135 c, such that the first and/or second wing members 135 a, 135b are substantially parallel to the back member 135 c to facilitatestorage of the headrest. In this embodiment, the hinge mechanisms 136 a,136 b define hinge axes which are coplanar and parallel to each other.In another embodiment (not shown), the hinge axes may be coplanar andnot parallel to potentially provide enhanced comfort to a user. Inaddition, the first and second hinge mechanisms may be balanced hinges.Further, in still another embodiment, the hinge mechanism may comprisean adjustable coil mechanism.

For safety purposes, the wing members can be limited in their degree ofmotions. In this regard, the headrest 110 further includes first andsecond wing rotation stops 162 a, 162 b which function to ensure thatthe wing members 135 a, 135 b do not close (i.e., rotate inwardly). Thewing rotation stops 162 a, 162 b thus prevent the wing members 135 a,135 b from rotating beyond a selected orientation relative the backmember 135 c, which is especially useful in instances (e.g., accidents)during sudden braking or deceleration where the user may be thrown backagainst the headrest 110. As such, the wing rotation stops 162 a, 162 blimit the wing members 135 a, 135 b from rotating inwardly or forwardlyrelative to the back member 135 a beyond a selected angle (e.g., 70degrees). In one embodiment, the wing rotation stops 162 a, 162 binclude a bar comprising metal or other high strength material mountableto the end portion of the back member, the bar adapted to bear upon thewing members when the wing members 135 a, 135 b rotate inwardly.Alternatively, the wing rotation stops 162 a, 162 b comprise a roll pinor dowel mounted on each of the spindles of the tension spring plates(i.e., hinges) varying the position of the wing members 135 a, 135 brelative to the end portions of the back member (e.g., extending thedistance between the wing member mounting holes and the back member), orby mounting a bar or a rod between the two plates of each hinge, suchbar being mounted along the axes of the hinge spindles but offset thediameter of the spindles and material to enable it to swing untilcontacting the hinge plate of the other section. In still anotheralternative embodiment, high durometer foam wedges are positionable onthe front faces of the wing members. Such wedges may be bonded or gluedto the wing members, and would allow the wing members to rotate no morethan 70 degrees forward (e.g., from a flat configuration) with 45degrees of the 70 degrees being limited by the wing frame and theremaining 25 degrees by the wedge for each wing member. The headrest mayalternatively include an automatic wing retraction system (e.g., ifwings are motorized) which would function to retract the wings to a flatconfiguration (e.g., substantially planar with back members) when suddenacceleration or deceleration is sensed. In this regard, the wingretraction system may include a “g” sensor or an airbag type of triggersensor to initiate retraction of the wings.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3–4, the interconnecting membercomprises one or more stems or rods attached to the base of the backmember 135 c. In this regard, the headrest may replace existingremovable headrests in automobile seats or other similar type seats.Such stems or rods 142 may comprise a metallic material such as steel,to adequately support a head during rear-end collisions (e.g., forautomobile applications) and while the user is at rest. Such rods 142may also include a plurality of notches to provide height adjustabilityof the back member relative to an automobile seat interconnectedthereto, since such automobile seats typically include a channel or tubefor receiving such rods 142 and a height adjustment mechanismoperatively mounted with such notches 143. In an alternative embodiment,the headrest may instead include a strap for securing the headrest to aseat or headrest portion of an existing seat. Such a strap ispositionable adjacent to the hinge axes defined by the first and secondhinges 136 a, 136 b and may be looped through slots in the back member136 c, substantially as described hereinabove with respect to theembodiment of the headrest illustrated in FIGS. 1–2. In the illustratedembodiment, the back member 136 c includes insert areas which allow thestrap to be positioned close to the hinges, such that the mounting strapis located largely along or about the hinge axis. Such insert areaenhances stability. The headrest may further include a releasablelocking mechanism (e.g., a tab on the hinge) for locking the firstand/or second wing members in at least one of various positionalorientations relative to the back member 135 c.

FIGS. 6–18 illustrate additional embodiments of the headrest of thepresent invention. Referring to FIGS. 6, 7, 8A–8C, 13 and 14, in oneembodiment, the headrest 210 of the present invention generally includesa frame 220, padding covering portions of the frame 220 which engageside portions of a person's head and a neck portion of the person, andan interconnecting member for securing or interconnecting the portableheadrest to a seatback. More specifically, the headrest 210 includesfirst and second wings 214, 218 for supportably engaging side portionsof a person's head, especially when the person is seated, and a neckportion 224 capable of abuttingly or supportably engaging a portion ofthe neck of a person. In particular, the frame includes a rigid necksupport member 230 which extends between and interconnects first andsecond rigid wing members 235 a, 235 b at first and second verticallyextending end portions 238 a, 238 b of the frame which are integrallyformed with the neck support member 230. In order to secure the portableheadrest 210 to an upper portion of a seatback, the headrest 210 furtherincludes a first strap 226 which is loopable through first and secondswivels 270 a, 270 b, which correspond to the hinge axes about which thefirst and second wings 214, 218 are pivotally moveable relative to theneck support member 224. Advantageously, movement of the wing members214, 218 is accomplished independently of the first strap 226, such thatloosening of the first strap 226 is not required to move the wingmembers 214, 218 to the desired pivot positions. Such swivels 270 a, 270b are interconnectable to the first and second hinges 234 a, 234 b,respectively. As with previous embodiments, the first strap may includea releasable fastener, such as a snap, clasp, or Velcro in order tosecure the first strap 226 around an upper portion of the seatback toreleaseably secure the portable headrest 210 thereto. Alternatively, andas illustrated in FIG. 18, the headrest 210 may include first and secondstems 290 a, 290 b which are receivable within channels of the seatback(not shown) to interconnect the portable headrest 210 to a seatback,substantially as described hereinabove in relation to other embodiments.

As in previous embodiments, the wings 214, 218 are angularly adjustableto accommodate varying positions of comfort for the user. In thisembodiment, and as noted hereinabove, the wing members 235 a, 235 b arepivotally interconnected to the first and second end portions 238 a, 238b via first and second hinge mechanisms 234 a, 234 b. In thisembodiment, and as discussed hereinabove with regard to otherembodiments, such hinge mechanisms may comprise torsion springs. Inaddition, in order to inhibit injury to a person's head, especiallyduring severe deceleration or in the event of a collision, rotationstops 280 a, 280 b may be utilized to prevent the wing members 235 a,235 b from rotating more than a desired angular orientation (e.g., 70°relative to the neck support member). Such rotation stops may be knurledpress fittings which are interconnectable to the first and second endportions 238 a, 238 b.

Of importance, the headrest 210 of the present invention utilizes theneck portion 224 to support a neck of a person (as opposed to a backsideof a person's head). In one embodiment, the neck portion 224 includesthe center member 230 and a pad 250 positioned thereover to providecomfort to the user. In this embodiment, the neck portion issubstantially positioned co-planar with lower surfaces 215 a, 219 a ofthe wings 214, 218, respectively. In other embodiments, the neck portion224 is positionable below such lower surfaces 215 a, 219 a of the firstand second wing 214, 218, respectively. As such, the backside of aperson's head may be abuttingly engageable with the existing upper orheadrest portion of the seatback. In this regard, the portable headrest210 of the present invention may accommodate late model vehicles whichtypically position a headrest or upper portion of a seatback forward orproximal the back support portion of the seatback in order to minimizewhiplash injuries. The present invention may also accommodate oldermodel cars which do not employ forwardly positioned headrest portions ofseatbacks by providing a first pad member 260 having a releaseablefastener such as Velcro to releaseably secure the first pad member 260to the seatback itself or to the strap 226. Such pad member 260 mayinclude foam, or alternatively, be inflatable to provide to the useradjustability in cushioning.

FIGS. 9 and 10 of the present application illustrate alternativeembodiments of the frame of the portable headrest of the presentinvention. In one embodiment, the frame 320 is a unibody frame in whichthe center neck support member member 330 is integrally formed with thefirst and second wing members or portions 335 a, 335 b to form a unibodyframe 320. In this embodiment, the frame 320 comprises a tube fabricatedfrom a metal, such as aluminum, or a hard plastic. The first and secondwing members 335 a, 335 b are angularly fixed relative 320 to the centerneck support member 330 at various angular positions desirable for auser to rest their head. As with the above-described embodiment, thecenter neck support member 330 is positionable at or below a planedefined by the first and second lower surfaces 315 a, 319 a of the firstand second wings 314, 318, respectively, in order to supportably engagethe neck portion of a person. In order to provide comfort to the user,the center neck support member 330 includes a pad 350. In an alternativeembodiment, the wing portions 335 a, 335 b are releaseably securable tothe center neck support member 330 via appropriate fasteners (e.g.,threaded rod, male/female snap/fitting, twist-on attachment, etc.) inorder to enhance portability and storability of the headrest. A firststrap 326 is used in this embodiment to releaseably secure the portableheadrest to an upper portion of a seatback.

In another embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 10, the portable headrest ofthe present invention is designed to be releaseably securable to anupper portion or headrest portion of the seatback without the use ofstraps or other similar devices. In this embodiment, the headrestincludes a frame 420 having a center member 430 which extends betweenand interconnects first and second wing members 435 a, 435 b via firstand second intermediate portions 440 a, 440 b, which are generallyU-shaped in configuration. Of importance in this embodiment, the centermember 430 is positioned distal or behind the first and second wingmembers 435 a, 435 b such that the center member 430 is engageable witha backside of the seatback, in the upper portion or headrest portion ofthe seatback. In order to adequately secure this embodiment of theheadrest of the present invention to an upper or headrest portion of aseatback, especially during use, the first and second intermediateportions 440 a, 440 b are designed to allow the frame 420 tocompressively engage or pinch the upper portion of the seatback. In thisregard, the first and second legs 442 a, 442 b and 444 a, 444 b arespaced apart a distance 1 ₁, 1 ₂, respectively, which is less than thedistance between front and back surfaces of a portion of the headrest orupper portion of the seatback (e.g., proximate the center member 430).FIG. 11 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the frame illustratedin FIG. 10, showing the wing members 535 a, 535 b being hingedly orpivotally interconnected to end portions of the intermediate portions540 a, 540 b of the frame 520. In this embodiment, the hinge mechanismsutilized to provide angular adjustability of the wing members 535 a, 535b relative to the center member 530 include torsion springs 534 a, 534b. In still another embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 12, the frame 620 ofthe headrest of the present invention includes a center member 630 whichis co-planar with hinge axes defined by the hinges 634 a, 634 b whichhingedly interconnect the wing members 634 a, 634 b, respectively, tothe center member 630 via first and second intermediate portions 640 a,640 b. The headrest further includes strap 626 loopable around theintermediate portions 640 a, 640 b proximate the hinges 634 a, 634 b.

FIGS. 15A–15E illustrate various configurations in which the headrestillustrated in FIG. 6 may be utilized. For example, and referring toFIG. 15A, the headrest 210 may be configured and/or oriented to theillustrated configuration, such that the headrest 210 may be utilizedbetween a person's head and shoulder to support the person's head (e.g.,whereby the wing member 218 abuttingly engages a person's shoulder andthe side of a person's head is supported by wing member 214). FIG. 15Billustrates another alternative configuration of the headrest 210,whereby the headrest 210 in this “Z-shaped” configuration may be placedbetween a person's head and a window of the vehicle (e.g., airplanewindow, train window, automobile window, etc.) to support a person'shead. FIG. 15C illustrates yet another configuration of the headrest210, whereby wing member 214 may support a person's head, wing member218 abuttingly engage a person's shoulder, and neck support member 224may abuttingly engage the window of a vehicle. FIG. 15D illustratesstill another configuration in which the headrest 210 may be utilized tosupport a person's head. In this configuration, the wing member 218 andneck support member 224 may be positioned between adjacent seats (e.g.,on the train or airplane), such that the headrest 210 is wedgedtherebetween, and a person's head is supportable by wing member 214.Finally, FIG. 15E illustrates a folded configuration of headrest 210,such that the headrest 210 is storable in a small, compact arrangement.In this regard, in order to achieve such configurations, the torsionsprings interconnecting the wing members to the neck support members mayallow 360° rotation.

In another embodiment, the wing members are designed to avoid injuringthe person utilizing the headrest of the present invention. In oneembodiment, the middle portion of the wing member is transverse oroffset relative to the end portions or segments of the wing member tofacilitate buckling of the wing member when subject to a compressiveload (e.g., applied to the end of the wing member). FIGS. 16A–16B andFIGS. 17A–17B illustrate first and second rigid wing members 235 a, 235b which provide additional safety to the user. Referring to FIGS.16A–16B, a curved or scooped wing member is provided to enhance safety.More specifically, the end portion 285 of the wing member 235 a is“off-axis,” such that in the event of sudden deceleration or acollision, the forces generated thereby would provide a moment outsideof the hinge attached to the wing member 235 a, which would cause thewing member 235 a to swing away and/or buckle. FIGS. 17A–17B illustratea collapsible wing member 235 a which is designed to buckle or bend inthe event a person's head impacts the wing member. In this regard, thewing member 235 a would act as a crush zone and would plastically yieldbut not permanently deform. As such, the wing members may be fabricatedfrom a plastic material, such as polyethylene.

FIGS. 19 a and 19 b illustrate other embodiments of a winged headrest.The embodiments of FIGS. 19 a and 19 b illustrate a headrest havingangularly folding wing members. The wing members are hinged in a mannersuch that they rotate slightly eccentrically, closing inwardly to afolded position with one wing member above the other wing member,resulting in a more compact storage position. As can be seen in FIG. 19a, wing member 1905 folds above wing member 1910 when the wing membersare folded inwardly to the closed or folded position.

In the embodiment of FIG. 19 a, the wing member has a bore that isaligned to cause this angular motion when the wing is folded inwardly.In particular, the bore 1915 is angled inwardly away from the back edgeof the wing 1905 to cause the wing 1905 to rotate slightly upwardly whenrotated inwardly toward the central support bar 1930. Similarly, a bore1920 is angled outwardly towards the back edge of the wing 1910, causingthe wing 1910 to rotate slightly downwardly when rotated inwardly towardthe central support bar 1930. Other embodiments may have variouslyshaped wings and the geometric positions or angles may differ. The angleused may be a function of the length of the central support bar, thesize of the wings, the thickness of any wing padding, the expected angleduring use, etc.

When rotated outwardly to a selected usage angle, the wings 1905 and1910 return to an angle where their bottom surfaces are approximatelyplanar to each other. Throughout the range of motion in which a user islikely to use the wings for head support (e.g., approximately seventy toone hundred ten degrees from the folded position), the wing orientationchanges only slightly so that the wing bottoms remain approximatelyplanar with respect to each other. For example, the headrest may bedesigned such that a seven degree angle is sufficient to cause the wingsto rest above and below each other in the folded position, but the wingbottoms align when folded outwardly approximately one hundred degreesfrom the folded position.

In the embodiment of FIG. 19 a, a vertically extending end portion 1940is received by a bore 1915. The bore 1915 is slightly too small relativeto the end portion 1940. Thus, the wing 1905 is press fit onto thevertically extending end portion 1940 to provide a friction hinge.Similarly, on the other side, a second vertically extending end portion1935 is received by a second bore 1920, which is also slightlyundersized. The wing 1910 is press fit onto the end portion 1935 to forma friction hinge structure. Each friction hinge is capable of supportingthe weight of a human head leaning against the wing and yielding toallow the wing to rotate about the hinge axis when a greater force isapplied. In one embodiment, the hinge formed by the bore 1915 and theend portion 1940 maintains the wing position until a torque of betweenfifteen and thirty-five inch pounds is applied.

The embodiment of FIG. 19 b similarly provides overlapping wings 1975and 1980 in the folded position. Again, these wings fold out to arelatively planar position when in the range of motion expected withtypical usage. The embodiment of FIG. 19 b differs, however, from theembodiment of FIG. 19 a in that the vertically extending end potions1965 and 1970 are bent at an angle off from perpendicular to a centralsupport bar 1960, rather than the bores being angled with respect to thewing members.

FIG. 20 a illustrates one embodiment of a press-fit hinge mechanismwhich may be used with a variety of the winged headrests disclosed. Ofcourse, as with other embodiments of the invention, any type of hingethat has friction over a range of motion sufficient to support theweight of a human head leaning against a hinged wing, yet which isadjustable by applying a greater force may be used. Various other designor application-related considerations (e.g., materials to use, havingsplit or single hinge members, size, weight, integration into a seat,etc.) may motivate one of skill in the art to make modifications orsubstitutions falling within the scope of invention. In the embodimentof FIG. 20 a, a support member 2015 supports a wing member 2005 hingedlyattached to an end portion 2020 that extends vertically upward from thesupport member 2015. In some embodiments, the end portion may vary frombeing perpendicular to the support member 2015. Both the support memberand the end portion may vary in shape (being curved, bent, angled, orotherwise shaped) for structural, ergonomic, cost, or other reasons.

Another wing (not shown) may be provided, or a one-sided headrest may beimplemented in some embodiments. The wing member 2005 includes an endportion which is sufficiently wide to accommodate a bore 2010. The bore2010 may be formed in an integral portion of the wing (which may be acost effective solution) or may be formed in a part of a separatecomponent attached to the wing member. The bore 2010 is formed slightlysmaller than the end portion 2020. The wing 2005 is pressed into placeover the end portion 2020, forming a snug fit, which allows rotation ofthe wing member, but yet provides a sufficient degree of friction tosupport the weight of a human head leaning against the wing 2005. Theamount of friction should also be small enough to allow a user to movethe wing 2005 by applying a greater force than just the weight of a headleaning against the wing. For example a torque of between fifteen inchpounds and thirty inch pounds may be an appropriate level at which thewing friction is overcome.

Many alternative embodiments of press-fit hinges may be used as will beapparent to one of skill in the art. The materials of the end portion2020 and/or the wing 2005, or the portion of the wing 2005 which housesthe bore 2010 may be altered, for example. Thus, a different bore to endportion size differential may be required depending on the variouscharacteristics of the materials (malleability, compressibility, surfacecoefficients of friction, lubricants used, hoop stress, creep stress,coefficients of thermal expansion, etc.).

Another alternative embodiment for a hinge that may be used with avariety of headrests is shown in FIG. 20 b. The embodiment of FIG. 20 bincludes a wing member 2040 hingedly attached to an end portion of asupport member 2025 by a press-fit hinge mechanism. The press fit hingemechanism in this embodiment is a friction hinge having an upper portion2050, a lower portion 2045 and a gap between the upper portion 2050 andthe lower portion 2045 in which a strap 2030 may be positioned to securethe headrest to a seat or other object. Press-fit hinge portions orother types of hinges may be used to provide a split or multi-hingearrangement.

Although the embodiment of FIG. 20 b illustrates a single gap betweenupper and lower portions of the hinge mechanism, other embodiments mayuse other arrangements. For example, one embodiment may include multiplestraps positioned between discrete or attached hinge portions whichallow gaps for the straps. Another embodiment may utilize a single hingeportion (which may be larger than the single upper portion shown in FIG.20 b) and then have a strap seat or guide (e.g., a horizontally alignedindentation in the vertically extending end portion of the supportmember) to help hold the strap in place when the headrest is strapped inplace. Two strap guides, one on each side of the headrest assembly, maybe provided in the case of a two wing headrest.

FIG. 21 a illustrates one embodiment of a center bar 2110 having ahollow yielding portion. The center portion may yield in that it mayactually break or it may temporarily or permanently deform in responseto an impact. In the embodiment of FIG. 21 a, the center bar 2110includes a cavity or aperture 2120. The aperture 2120 may simply be ahollowed out portion within a tubular center member. The aperture may beelliptically shaped, and may be positioned slightly forward of thecenter of the bar member. As a result, when a head 2100 impacts thecenter bar 2110 with a large amount of force, as may be expected in avehicle crash, the bar is likely to deform bending backwardly to a shapesimilar to that shown in FIG. 21 b. In one embodiment, the tube deformsat a force of greater than forty pounds per square inch and breaks at aforce of greater than sixty pounds per square inch. In otherembodiments, different yielding center portions may be formed using auniformly hollow center bar or other techniques, including making asolid center bar of a material with the desired yielding and/ordeformation properties. For example, an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene(ABS) injected molded tubular center bar of approximately three-eighthsto one-quarter inch in diameter. Additionally, the center bar may betapered such that it is narrower in the middle and wider near thewing(s).

FIG. 21 b illustrates one embodiment of a curved center bar. Aspreviously noted, a curved center bar may be the result of a deformationdue to an impact. However, a curved center bar 2110 may also be adesirable ergonomic feature. The curved center bar 2110 may beconstructed with an arc radius (e.g., ten to twenty inches) such thatthe center bar 2110 matches the contour a typical seat headrest. Assuch, the curvature provides several benefits. First, the curvature maycompensate for a typical headrest shape (both the horizontal curvatureand the vertical curvature typically found in headrests). Additionally,the curved center bar 2110 forms an arc to strongly withstand the torquecaused by rotation of the wings, yet is relatively weak and capable ofyielding upon impact from a head.

FIG. 22 illustrates an alternative headrest arrangement. The headrest ofFIG. 22 is one embodiment of a one-sided headrest with an over-the-seat,compressive attachment member. The embodiment of FIG. 22 includes a wingportion 2200 which is attached by a hinge mechanism 2210 to anattachment member 2220. The attachment member 2220 is securable to aheadrest of a seat (e.g., an airplane seat, a car seat, a train seat,etc.) by means of compression. For example, the attachment member 2220may be a metal U-shaped member that has a smaller U opening than theexpected seat headrest width, or an adjustable compressive member. Thus,when pressed downwardly over the seat headrest, the embodiment of FIG.22 is held in place by compression. Various different structures may beused to compressively attach to a seat or seat headrest. For example,the U shaped member may be used to slide onto the seat sideways.Alternatively, multiple compressive members may be used to ensure thatthe winged headrest is held in place. Moreover, other materials may beused, so long as they provide some flexibility and resilience.

The hinge mechanism 2210 may be a torsion or friction hinge aspreviously described. That is, the hinge mechanism 2210 may itselfprovide friction to hold the wing mechanism in place. In someembodiments, the hinge mechanism 2210 may provide sufficient friction tosupport the weight of a human head leaning against the wing portion 2200in variety of positions, yet may be manually moveable when it is desiredthat the wing position be changed.

More elaborate headrests may also benefit from the use of a wing whichwithout user assistance maintains its position. For example, FIG. 23 aillustrates one embodiment of a headrest 2302 with motorized wingmembers 2300 and 2305. The headrest of FIG. 23 a includes a single motor2320 which can drive wing members 2300 and 2305 by respectively belts2325 and 2330. Other conventional or otherwise available drivingmechanisms may be used such as various gearing, direct-drive, and/orbelt mechanisms. The belts 2325 and 2330 drive respectively hingemechanisms 2310 and 2315.

The wing members 2300 and 2305 may be held in place in several manners.In one embodiment, the hinge mechanisms 2310 and 2315 are friction ortorsion hinges as previously described and therefore have friction tohelp maintain the wings in a user-selected position. The user actuatesan electronic control to move both wing members forward or backward, themotor 2320 having sufficient torque to overcome the resistance of thehinging mechanisms. Gearing or other torque increasing means may be usedto allow the motor 2320 to drive the wing members. Alternatively, themotor 2320 itself may have sufficient rotational resistance such thatthe motor itself holds the wing members in place. Alternatively, acombination of hinge and motor resistance may be used to maintain thewing members in position.

The headrest of FIG. 23 a may be attached to a lower portion of a seatby stems 2335 a and 2335 b. Such an embodiment may be useful in a car orother motorized vehicle having pre-existing seats adapted to receivesuch stems. Alternatively, the headrest portion may be integrally formedwith a lower portion of the seat (e.g., forming a part of a seat as iscommon in some cars, airplanes, etc.).

FIG. 23 b illustrates another embodiment of a motorized winged headrest.In the embodiment of FIG. 23 b, two motors 2360 and 2355 may be used toseparately drive hinge mechanisms 2365 and 2370 thereby movingrespectively wing members 2375 and 2380. Again, the position of the wingmembers may be maintained in a variety of manners as described withrespect to FIG. 23 a. Additionally, however, the wing members may beactuated by a user independently of each other in the embodiment of FIG.23 b.

Additionally, stowing the wings of a motorized headrest may be desirablein environments such as vehicles. FIG. 23 c illustrates one embodimenthaving a wing stowing capability. This embodiment may be useful withmotorized headrests such as those shown in FIGS. 23 a and 23 b; however,such stowable wing members may be used in other embodiments lackingmotors. In the embodiment of FIG. 23 c, a headrest 2382 includes anindented portion generally indicated by 2384. A wing member 2388 may bein the downward position as shown by the dashed line, or may be pivotedupwards on pivot point 2386 to an upward stowed position. Notably, someembodiments may simply stow the wing members by rotating them upwardly,the indentation to make the wing member flush with the headrest profilebeing optional. The headrest may also include one or more stems such asstem 2389 for attaching to a lower portion of a seat.

Another embodiment having stowable wing members is shown in FIG. 23 d.In the embodiment of FIG. 23 d, a headrest 2390 includes a stem 2396 andan indented portion 2394 indicated by the dashed line. In oneembodiment, a wing member 2394 telescopes backwards on a telescopingassembly. Various telescoping mechanisms may be used. For example, atelescoping rod arrangement may be used, as may other known or otherwiseavailable telescoping mechanisms as may be appropriate for a particulardesign. In another embodiment, the wing member 2392 may fold backward byrotating about the hinge axis for stowing in the indented portion 2394.Some embodiments may not have an indentation and may stow the wingmember merely by rotating it backwards, with the wing member not lyingflush with the headrest.

FIGS. 24 a and 24 b illustrate embodiments having slide-on strapattachment members. For a higher degree of ease of use for someconsumers, it may be desirable to simplify the procedure of attachingthe winged headrest to a seat. One manner in which this may beaccomplished is by allowing the strap to be attached to the seatindependently of the actual support or center bar, the wings and thehinge. Thus, the user is left only with the straightforward task ofattaching a simple strap to an existing seat headrest, and thereaftersliding the assembly over the strap.

For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 24 a, the headrest assembly iseasily separable from an accompanying strap 2420. The headrest assemblyincludes a support member having support member portions 2400, 2403,2405 and wing members 2440 and 2450. The support member includes avertically extending end portion 2415, having a bore 2410, into which astrap attachment member 2405 may be inserted. For example, the strapattachment member 2405 may be press-fit into the bore 2410. The strapattachment member 2405 extends outwardly (e.g., backward with respect tothe front of the winged headrest) and then downwardly parallel to thevertically extending end portion 2415 as may be also seen from the sideview of FIG. 24 b.

The bottom of the strap attachment member 2405 is spaced slightly fromthe vertically extending end portion 2415 to provide a slot that canaccept the strap 2420. Thus, a user may first fasten the strap to theseat (various clasps, Velcro, or other conventional means may be used tosecure the strap). The user may then simply slide the headrest assemblydownward over the strap such that the strap attachment members engagethe secured strap and therefore hold the headrest assembly in place.

FIG. 24 a also illustrates a multiple material support member. Thesupport member includes a center portion 2400 and two outer portions2403 and 2405. In one embodiment, the center portion 2400 is a softermore flexible material, (e.g., a plastic such as injection molded ABS,polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), nylon 6-6, etc.) and the outer portionsare more rigid materials such as stainless steel or a hardened plastic.Such an arrangement may advantageously provide a sufficiently rigidstructure to allow a user to move the wings when strapped to the seat,and additionally provide a yielding center portion. In one embodiment,the strap attachment members of FIG. 24 a may be omitted and the straplooped over the vertically extending end portions. In this embodiment,it may be advantageous to provide vertically extending end portionshaving a height of at least the strap width greater than the wing height(e.g., see FIG. 28), so there is sufficient space to strap the headrestassembly to the seat. Additionally, strap guides indented into thevertically extending end portions may be helpful in this embodiment.

FIG. 25 illustrates another embodiment of a headrest assembly which maybe secured by a strap 2510. In the embodiment of FIG. 25, a singleintegral tubular member 2500 forms the center support member and formsfold-over end portions to provide support for hingedly attached wingmembers 2540 and 2550 and to guide strap attachment. The fold-over endportion may be a bend upwards, a first vertically extending portion inthe tubular member 2500, followed by a bend 2530 (transverse portion),and a second vertically extending portion of the tubular member 2500.The downward outermost portion may form the axis for a hinging mechanism2520 to attach the wing member 2540. The hinging mechanism 2520 may beany of the variety of torsion or friction hinges as previouslydiscussed. The wing member 2550 may be similarly attached. As previouslydiscussed, the hinge mechanism may be a torsion or friction hingingmechanism (e.g., a press-fit hinge) that provides an appropriate amountof resistance to support the weight of a head leaning against the wingmember yet be manually movable.

The multiple vertically oriented portions also have the benefit ofconfining a strap 2510 that secures the winged headrest to a seat. Inthe embodiment shown in FIG. 25, the strap 2510 extends between theupward portion and the downward portion and exerts a force holding theheadrest assembly in place. The headrest assembly is prevented fromsliding too far downwardly because the bend portion limits the upwardmovement of the strap relative to the headrest assembly.

Although an integral tubular member may be a cost effectiveimplementation, other implementations may not use a single integraltubular member. For example, multiple members may be used for the centerportion and the two perpendicularly oriented portions, as well as theirattachment to each other. Moreover, different shapes may be used, suchas an H-shaped assembly, connecting the two vertical members in themiddle. Other alternative shapes will be apparent to those of skill inthe art. Furthermore, the tubular member need not be tubular in allembodiments. A variety of center members, from large flat surfaces(e.g., where the headrest assembly is integral to a seat) to otherextruded shapes (e.g., rectangular, trapezoidal, curved, arched, orcustomized) may be used.

Another alternative is to omit the structural center portion altogether.FIG. 26 a illustrates one embodiment utilizing a strap 2610 and supportmember 2620 attached to the strap 2610 to support a hinged wing member2630. As discussed with respect to other embodiments, the wing member2630 may be attached using a hinge 2640 which may be a variety offrictional or torsion hinge mechanisms. The strap 2610 may be strappedand secured about a headrest 2600. A strap attachment member 2650attaches the headrest assembly to the strap 2610. In the embodiment ofFIG. 26 a, the support member 2620 is attached behind the strap 2610.The support member 2620 is a semi-rigid support member which providessome weight and rigidity to counter moments produced by a user movingthe wing member 2630. The support member may be cloth, foam, rubber,elastomer, thermoplastic, or a combination of these or other convenientmaterials. The support member may be attached to the strap by a glue,sewing or a conventional attachment technique.

The embodiment of FIG. 26 b illustrates an alternative embodiment inwhich the support member 2620 is attached to a front side of the strap2610. The embodiment of FIG. 26 b also illustrates a loop 2612 in thestrap 2610 adapted to receive a strap attachment member 2650 which isattached to the assembly of the hinge 2640 and wing member 2630. Thestrap attachment member 2650 may be press fit into a bore in the top ofthe hinge 2640. FIG. 26 b also shows the adhesive 2622, which may beglue, sewing, or other conventional attachment means, which adheres thestrap 2610 to the support member 2620.

FIG. 27 illustrates an embodiment having a hinged center support member.In some embodiments, a headrest assembly with a hinged support membermay be useful to adjust position of the wings and/or to adjust therelative position of the wings with respect to a portion of the centerbar. The ability of the center hinge to yield may also be useful inavoiding head injuries in a crash situation. In the embodiment of FIG.27, a left member 2710 and a right member 2720 are attached by a centerhinge 2730. The center hinge 2730 may be a friction or torsion hingeproviding some resistance to movement of the left member 2710 relativeto the right member 2720. Wings 2740 and 2750 may be hingedly attachedas described with respect to other embodiments, and various described orother means may be used to secure the headrest assembly to seat.

FIG. 28 illustrates another embodiment of a winged headrest. Theembodiment of FIG. 28 includes several features that may allow low costproduction yet allow a high quality final product. For example, in oneembodiment, a center member 2805 is integrally formed with twovertically extending foot portions (e.g., foot portion 2810). The footportion is the portion below the wing and above or adjacent to thecenter member 2805. The foot portion on the right side is shown withouta wing portion attached to provide additional details. A bore 2820 isformed in the right side foot portion. The bore 2820 is a slightlyundersized bore such that a rod (e.g., a stainless steel rod) may beinserted into the bore 2820 to provide a press-fit friction hinge. Inone embodiment, the wings are plastic and molded over the stainlesssteel rods which insert into the bores in the feet.

Each foot is widened out in comparison to the cross bar between the twofeet. The wider foot provides a larger surface area to contact theusually compressive front surface of a seat. The larger surface area ofthe foot provides better support to counter the moment caused when thewing 2850 is moved while the winged headrest is attached to a seat. Insome embodiments, the feet are a harder material than the center member,thereby providing rigidity and durability where needed, yet allowing thecenter member to flex and yield in the event of impact. For example, inone embodiment, the feet and center member are made of an ABS plastic.The feet may, however, be twenty percent glass-filled ABS to provideadditional stiffness. In some embodiments, the feet may not beintegrally formed, but rather may be fastened together (e.g., whenfastening together two pieces is cheaper, safer, or otherwise betterthan processing a multi-material integral piece).

In the embodiment of FIG. 28, a strap 2830 may be seated directly belowthe wing members. A guide for the strap may be included in the upperportion of each foot. A user can strap the strap 2830 around a seatfirst, and then slide the headrest assembly downwardly between the strapand seat such that the strap aligns in the strap guides. The bottomportion of each foot may be rounded to facilitate insertion behind thestrap.

To accommodate users of various heights, a user may choose to adjustwhere the strap is attached to the seat or where the strap falls on theheadrest assembly (i.e., how far downwardly the headrest is insertedbehind the strap). Some embodiments may include multiple strap guides toallow flexibility in positioning of the headrest. With such adjustments,a wide variety of users of different sizes are able to find acomfortable position, such as having the wing supporting the user'scheek and the cross-bar (center member 2805) fitting the cavity of theuser's neck.

The embodiment of FIG. 28 also includes safety features. First, the wing2850 can be bowed slightly outwardly (see, e.g., FIGS. 16 a, 16 b, 17,21 a, 21 b). Additionally, the wing 2850 has an outer frame, but has acavity 2860 to reduce the rigidity of the wing frame. The cavity may beone oblong cavity as shown or may be two or more separate holes drilledor otherwise formed in a process such as injection molding. Due to theoutward bow of the wing, impacts cause the wing to bend outwardly,providing a moment that causes the wing to rotate outwardly. The cavityor holes in the wing also enhance the outward moment when the wing isimpacted. Notably, the wings may have rounded surfaces for safety andcomfort, and are typically covered by a padding when in use.

In one embodiment, each rod which forms the axis of the hinge is 0.3700to 0.3702 inches, and the bores in the plastic of the headrest assemblythat receive the rods are 0.3685 to 0.3690 inches, resulting in aninterference of approximately ten to fifteen ten-thousandths of an inch.This embodiment requires a torque of approximately fifteen to thirtyinch-pounds of torque to move each wing. Additionally, in this onespecific example, the center bar may be approximately 7.4 inches inlength and approximately three-eighths inch in diameter, the wingsapproximately two inches in height and five inches in length.

In one embodiment, a pivot such as that shown in FIG. 23 c may be addedto a headrest having an elongated center member with verticallyextending end portions such as the embodiment of FIG. 28. In thisembodiment, the user can also use the headrest in a U-shapedconfiguration. If the hinges are used to rotated the wings toapproximately perpendicular to the center bar and then rotated upwardlyon the pivots, a U shape results. The user may therefore gain anadditional headrest position (although padding over the center portionmay be desirable in this position).

An embodiment of a vibrating headrest is shown in FIG. 29. In theembodiment of FIG. 29, a wing 2940 is hingedly attached to a headrest2930 by a friction hinge strapped to the headrest. The wing 2940includes a motor 2910 powered by a battery 2920. Alternatively, themotor may be powered by DC or AC current supplied from external to thewing, external to the headrest, or external to the seat. The motor 2910has a rotor with a bent portion and a mass attached thereto to provide asubtle vibrating of the wing 2940. Other known or otherwise availablevibration techniques or mechanisms may be used as well. In any case, theuser may enjoy a massage while using the headrest. Additionally,vibration mechanisms may be provided in both wings, and/or in the centermember 2930. Furthermore, a vibration mechanism may be added to any ofthe variety of headrests in wing or center portions.

Additionally, the vibrating wing concept may be applicable as use for ageneral therapeutic device. For example, the wing may be strapped viathe strap (or otherwise secured) to a person, and the friction hinge maybe positioned and maintain enough pressure to hold the vibrating wing inplace. A power adapter to plug in may be desirable for therapeuticdevice embodiments, as may be a more rigorous vibration mechanism toapply sufficient vibration to have therapeutic effect. A power switchwhich may have adjustments such as vibrating frequency, intensity, etc.,may be provided on the center member, thereby allowing the user toadjust the vibration and pressure to an appropriate level, and then tolet the wings maintain the position of the assembly. The wings may haveone or both sides as a rubberized material instead of a foam pad whichwould damped vibrations. In alternative embodiments, the wings mayadditionally or instead of the vibration mechanism have either or bothof a heating element and a transdermal electrical muscle stimulant(TEMS) element.

Embodiments such as those shown in FIGS. 7, 21 b, and 28 with cross barmembers may employ vibrating (or otherwise therapy-providing) wings toform a massager, wherein the torsion of the vibrating wings clamps theassembly onto a muscle or body portion. For example, the wings may clampthe entire assembly onto a thigh in order to massage that thigh. A strapmay be unnecessary in some embodiments, with just the pressuremaintained by the torsion hinges holding the assembly in place. It mayalso be desirable to increase the torque requirement to move the wings,to a minimum of between twenty-five and fifty inch pounds. Additionally,it may be desirable to employ a hinged center member (see, e.g., FIG.27) a telescoping center member, or an otherwise adjustable centermember to adjust the distance between the wings. An adjustable centermember allows various muscle groups or body parts to be clamped betweenthe vibrating wings, to apply a therapeutic massage. The adjustablecenter member may provide a locking mechanism so that once the user hasdetermined the desired wing width, the center member can be locked sothat the wings may be rotated without inadvertently changing the centermember adjustment.

Advantageously, some embodiments of the friction hinge based massagerallow hands-free operation. One major drawback of many current massagersis the need to continually apply pressure and/or to hold the massager inplace. By the use of friction hinges to clamp the assembly in place (andperhaps an additional optional strap), the need to hold the assembly inplace may be reduced and/or eliminated. Moreover, the friction hingeassembly is quite compact (especially when in a the folded position) andmuch less cumbersome than many other massage devices. Furthermore, anassembly with friction hinge mounted wings can be an all-in-one headrestand versatile massager. In one instance it may be used as a headrest,but it may also be used as a massager. One side of each wing may be arelatively hard or rubberized material (e.g., thermoplastic elastomer,rubberized polyurethane, or Santoprene) that transmits vibration, andthe other side may be padded. An optional headrest strap used to securesome embodiments to the seat can double as a strap to secure themassager to a particular body part, and an optional adjustable centermember may allow easy adjustment to head widths as well as other bodyparts.

FIG. 30 illustrates another example of an integral winged headrest. Inthe embodiment of FIG. 30, the winged headrest is included as a part ofa stretcher, with the center member being a portion of the stretcheritself. Two wings 2910 and 2920 are hingedly attached to the stretcherby a friction hinge. A rod 2930 forming the hinge axis may be snappedinto or otherwise secured to the stretcher itself. The rod 2930 or aportion thereof may be housed in a casing to facilitate a reliable andflush connection to the stretcher.

In the case of a stretcher, a friction hinge which yields at a higherforce may be appropriate due to the importance of immobilizing the headof the person on the stretcher. Thus, a torque of thirty to fortyinch-pounds may be required to move each wing. The wings may bepositioned in apertures in the stretcher. The apertures may be cut-outportions, holes formed in the stretcher, or just recesses in the surfaceof the stretcher. The apertures may extend outwardly to form a handlesimilar to other handles (e.g., handle 2950) typically found on astretcher.

Additionally, it may be desirable to use easily cleaned padding and/orcovers for the wings 2910. For example, a closed cell foam, a vinyldipped closed cell foam, or other readily washable materials that willgenerally not hold contaminants may be used to cushion the wings.Furthermore, it may also be desirable to have larger wings in the caseof a stretcher, and perhaps a wing-locking strap. It may be desirable toprevent a patient from seeing what is happening in the vicinity and/orto ensure the entire head is immobilized using larger wings.Accordingly, one embodiment uses wings of ten inches in length and threeto five inches in width. To lock the wings, a strap may wrap aroundupper portions of both wings, thereby preventing the wings from rotatingdownwardly.

FIG. 31 illustrates another application of the winged headrest concept.In the embodiment of FIG. 31, a child seat is equipped with two wings onfriction or torsion hinge mechanisms. Wings 3110 and 3130 are hingedlyattached to the child seat, and can support the weight of the child'shead leaning against the wing. Due to the lighter weight of a child'shead, the hinging mechanism may yield, allowing rotation of the wingwhen a force of between ten and twenty inch pounds is applied. Moreover,the wing members may be smaller than in some other embodiments. Forexample, in one embodiment, the wings may be five to six inches apart,three to four inches in length, and one to three inches in height.

The wings may be attached to the child seat in a variety of manners. Inthe illustrated embodiment, rods 3130 and 3140 are provided for mountingof the wings 3110 and 3120. As indicated with respect to wing 3110, thewing may be movable along the rod 3140 to provide adjustment fordifferent size (height) children. The wings may pivot on the rod 3140 ormay pivot on a sliding portion attached to the rod. Alternatively, thewings may be connected to the baby seat by friction hinge mechanismsdirectly affixed to or molded into the child seat.

The rods 3130 and 3140 may be molded into side portions of the childseat as indicated in FIG. 31, or they may be molded into or mounted ontothe back portion of the child seat if it is desirable to place the wingscloser together than a mounting on the side portions would allow. Ineither case, the wings can be rotated about the hinging mechanism toprovide a resting position for the child's head. In another alternativeembodiment, the hinging mechanisms may be slidable horizontally toaccommodate children with different head widths. In any case, thefriction hinge winged headrest may be quite effectively utilized in avariety of arrangements for a child seat.

Thus, a description of various features and embodiments of headrests hasbeen provided. While certain exemplary embodiments have been describedand shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that suchembodiments are merely illustrative of and not restrictive on the broadinvention, and that this invention not be limited to the specificconstructions and arrangements shown and described, since various othermodifications may occur to those ordinarily skilled in the art uponstudying this disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A head support assembly comprising: a back membercomprising a frame portion; a first wing member comprising a firstdeformable plastic wing frame portion, the first deformable plastic wingframe comprising a first buckling portion adapted to facilitate bucklingwhen subject to a compressive load, the first wing member beingpivotally interconnected to the back member, the first wing member beingpivotable from a flat position substantially planar with the back memberinwardly to a select limited angle which is an acute angle; a secondwing member comprising a second deformable plastic wing frame portion,the second deformable plastic wing frame portion comprising a secondbuckling portion adapted to facilitate buckling when subject to thecompressive load, the second wing member being pivotally interconnectedto the back member, the second wing member being pivotable from a flatposition substantially planar with the back member inwardly to a selectlimited angle which is the acute angle, the second wing member beingpivotable independently from the first wing member.
 2. The head supportassembly of claim 1 further comprising: first and second wing memberpads covering respectively the first wing member and the second wingmember, wherein the first and second wing members are generallyrectangular in shape and have a height of less than a height of the backmember a back member pad.
 3. The head support assembly of claim 2wherein said center frame portion of the back member comprises a softerplastic than a side frame portion of the back member.
 4. The headsupport assembly of claim 2 wherein each of the first wing member andthe second wing member comprises a curved or scooped wing member wingmember which is off-axis.
 5. The head support assembly of claim 2wherein each of the first and second wing members comprises a middleportion and an end portion, wherein the middle portion is transverse oroffset relative to the end portion or segment.
 6. The head supportassembly of claim 2 wherein said first wing member and said second wingmember are limited in rotation to less than about 80 degrees inwardlyrelative to a front surface of the back member.
 7. The head supportassembly of claim 6 wherein a width of the back member is about 6.5inches, plus or minus 0.5 inch.
 8. The head support assembly of claim 7wherein said first and second wing members provide sufficient headsupport to support a force of a human head leaning against therespective wing member in a plurality or wing member positions between afirst substantially flat position and the acute angle, said wing membersto pivot if a greater force than the force of the human head leaningagainst the first lateral support member is applied.
 9. The head supportassembly of claim 1 wherein the first and second wing members includewing rotation stops to limit the first and second wing members fromrotating inwardly or forwardly relative to the back member beyond theselected angle which is an angle of seventy degrees.
 10. The headsupport assembly of claim 1 wherein said first and second wing membersprovide sufficient head support to support a force of a human headleaning against the respective wing member in a plurality of wing memberpositions between a first substantially flat position and the acuteangle, said wing members to pivot if a greater force than the force ofthe human head leaning against the first lateral support member isapplied.
 11. The head support assembly of claim 1 wherein the first wingmember and the second wing member are motorized wing members.
 12. Thehead support assembly of claim 1 wherein said first buckling portioncomprises an aperture to facilitate buckling.
 13. A headrest comprising:a center member comprising a plastic center frame portion; a first wingmember comprising a first curved plastic wing frame portion, the firstcurved plastic wing frame portion providing an off-axis wing frame endportion, the first wing member being pivotally interconnected to thecenter member and being unassistedly maintained in a plurality of in-usepositions between a flat position substantially planar with the centermember and a rotation limit position; a first wing member rotation stopto prevent pivoting of the first wing member beyond the rotation limitposition at which the first wing member has only been pivoted to anacute angle with regard to the center member.
 14. The headrest of claim13 wherein said acute angle is seventy degrees or less, wherein saidfirst wing member is generally rectangular, and wherein said first wingmember is smaller in height than the center member.
 15. The headrest ofclaim 14 wherein said first wing member is pivotally coupled to thecenter member by a first friction hinge comprising a metal hinge portionthat is molded over by a plastic frame portion.
 16. The headrest ofclaim 13 wherein said center member comprises a plurality of cut outportion, and further wherein each wing member and the center memberpadded.
 17. The headrest of claim 16 wherein the first wing membercomprises a curved or scooped wing member wing member which is off-axis.18. A headrest comprising: a headrest body portion; a first head supportmember pivotally connected to the headrest body portion, the first headsupport member being pivotable to a first substantially flat position inwhich the first head support member is substantially parallel to a frontface portion of the headrest body portion and pivotable to a rotationstop position at which pivoting of the first head support member islimited to a first acute angle with respect to said headrest bodyportion, said first head support member being maintained in a pluralityof first head support member positions between the first substantiallyflat position and the first acute angle, said first head support memberto pivot if a greater force than a human head leaning against the firsthead support member is applied; a second head support member pivotallyconnected to the headrest body portion, the second head support memberbeing pivotable to a second substantially flat position in which thesecond head support member is substantially parallel to the front faceportion of the headrest body portion and pivotable to a second rotationstop position at which pivoting of the first bead support member islimited to a second acute angle with respect to said headrest bodyportion, said second head support member being maintained in a pluralityof second head support member positions between the first substantiallyflat position and the second acute angle, said second head supportmember to pivot if the greater force than the human head leaning againstthe second head support member is applied.
 19. The headrest of claim 18wherein said first head support member and said second head supportmember are each positionable independently and continuously throughout arange of motion from the respective stowed positions to rotation stoppositions.
 20. The headrest of claim 18 wherein said first head supportmember and said second head support member each comprises a curvedportion to provide a configuration wherein an end portion of therespective head support member is off axis.
 21. The headrest of claim 20wherein said headrest comprises a plastic frame portion having aplurality of cut out areas.
 22. The headrest of claim 21 wherein saidfirst acute angle and said second acute angle are fixed angles set byrotation stops that stop respectively the first head support member andsaid second head support member at a selected pivoted-outwardly angle ofless than or equal to about seventy degrees from respectively the firstsubstantially flat position and the second substantially flat position.23. The headrest of claim 18 wherein said headrest comprises a plasticframe, and further wherein said plastic frame includes a plurality ofhollowed or cut out areas.
 24. The headrest of claim 18 furthercomprising separate foam members each covering a specific frame portion,said separate foam members comprising first and second wing foam membersto cover the first and second head support members and a back foammember to cover the headrest body portion.
 25. The headrest of claim 24wherein the padding comprises first and second layers, whereby the firstlayer of padding has a durometer greater than the second layer ofpadding, the first layer of padding in abutting relation with the frame.26. The headrest of claim 18 further comprising: first and second hingespivotably coupling said first and second head support members to theheadrest body member, said first and second hinges having sufficientfriction to maintain respectively said first and second head supportmembers under the load of the human head leaning against said first andsecond head support members; plastic portions molded over metal hingeportions of said first and second hinges.
 27. The headrest of claim 26wherein said headrest body portion includes a plurality of hollowed orcut out areas.
 28. The headrest of claim 18 further comprising: a firstforward rotation limiter to limit forward rotation of the first headsupport member at a first angle; a second forward rotation limiter tolimit forward rotation of the first head support member at a secondangle which is a greater forward rotation angle than the first angle.29. The headrest of claim 28 wherein the first forward rotation limitercomprises a frame potion of the first head support member and whereinthe second forward rotation limiter comprises a high durometer foamwedge.
 30. The headrest of claim 18 further comprising high durometerfoam wedges positionable on front faces of the head support members,said wedges to allow the wing members to rotate no more than a firstangle forward with a subset of the first angle being limited by the wingframe and the remainder of the first angle being limited by the wedgefor each head support member.
 31. A headrest comprising: a back member,said back member having a plastic back member frame having a pluralityof cut out areas; a first wing, said first wing having a first wingframe made of plastic; a second wing, said second wing having a secondwing frame made of plastic; a first hinge member, said first hingemember pivotally connecting the first wing to the back member, the firstwing being pivotable to a first substantially flat position andpivotable to a first rotation stop position at which pivoting of thefirst wing is limited to a first acute angle with respect to said backmember set by a first forward rotation limiter, said first hinge memberhaving sufficient friction to maintain said first wing in a plurality offirst wing positions between the first substantially flat position andthe first acute angle, said first wing to pivot if a greater force thana human head leaning against the first wing is applied, said first hingemember having a first metal portion molded over by a first plasticportion of the first wing; a second hinge member, said second hingemember pivotally connecting the second wing to the hack member, thesecond wing being pivotable to a second substantially flat position andpivotable to a second rotation stop position at which pivoting of thesecond wing is limited to a second acute angle with respect to said backmember sot by a second forward rotation limiter, said second hingemember having sufficient friction to maintain said second wing in aplurality of second wing positions between the second substantially flatposition and the second acute angle, said second wing to pivot if agreater force than a human head leaning against the second wing isapplied, said second hinge member having a second metal portion moldedover by a second plastic portion of the second wing.
 32. The headrest ofclaim 31 further comprising: a padding and a covering for said plasticback member frame, wherein said plurality of cut out areas are toenhance adherence of the padding to said plastic back member frame; afirst wing foam member separate from the padding for the back member,said first wing foam member coupled to said first wing frame; a secondwing foam member separate from the padding for the back member, saidsecond wing foam member coupled to said second wing frame.
 33. Theheadrest of claim 32 wherein said first wing and said second wing areeach positionable independently and continuously throughout a range ofmotion from the respective stowed positions to rotation stop positions.34. The headrest of claim 31 wherein motion of respectively the firstwing and said second wing is limited to a selected pivoted-outwardlyangle of seventy degrees or less from respectively the firstsubstantially flat position and the second substantially flat position.35. The headrest of claim 31 further comprising: a first wing firstforward rotation limiter to limit forward rotation of the first wing ata second angle which is a smaller forward rotation angle than the firstacute angle; a first wing second forward rotation limiter to limitforward rotation of the first wing at the first acute angle.
 36. Theheadrest of claim 31 wherein said first wing frame has a first cut outand a first curved portion providing an end portion of the first wingthat is off axis and wherein said second wing frame has a second cut outand a second curved portion providing an end portion of the second wingthat is off axis.
 37. The headrest of claim 31 further comprising: apadding and a covering for said back member, wherein said plurality ofcut out areas are to enhance adherence to the plastic back member frame;a first wing foam member separate from the padding for the back member;a second wing foam member separate from the padding for the back member;wherein motion of respectively the first wing and said second wing islimited to a selected pivoted-outwardly angle of seventy degrees or lessfrom respectively the first substantially flat position and the secondsubstantially flat position; wherein said first wing frame includes afirst cut out and a first curved portion providing an end portion of thefirst wing that is off axis and wherein said second wing frame includesa second cut out and a second curved portion providing an end portion ofthe second wing that is off axis.
 38. The headrest of claim 37 furthercomprising: a first and a second forward rotation limitation mechanismto limit forward rotation of the first wing at first and second angles,wherein the first wing rotates no more than the first acute angleforward from a flat configuration but also includes the second forwardrotation limitation mechanism which engages at a second smaller acuteangle than the first acute angle.
 39. The headrest of claim 31 furthercomprising an automatic wing retraction system.
 40. The headrest ofclaim 31 wherein said back member has a back member height and whereinsaid first and second wings are generally rectangular in shape and havea wing height which is less than the back member height.